She blinked like she was offended. “I’m just trying to make this meaningful. It would be special. I don’t feel comfortable having some stranger walk the rings. I thought Aziel would make it feel more real.”
I looked her straight in the eye. “No.”
Her eyes filled with tears like it was rehearsed. She turned to Hakeem and clutched his arm.
“Honey… I didn’t mean anything by it. Harmony misunderstood me. I just want someone we both know involved. Someone safe.”
Hakeem gave her that amused little smirk, pinched her nose like she was a damn puppy.
“You’re such a headache,” he said. “Fine. You win. We’ll use Aziel.”
Then he looked at me. That smile was gone. His eyes locked on mine, sharp and cold.
I didn’t argue. Didn’t flinch. I already knew how this went.
I walked away. Hands clenched. Nails digging deep. Because now my plan was ruined.
I was supposed to disappear before the wedding.
Everything was ready. Clean IDs. Offshore account. Exit route.
But I couldn’t leave Aziel behind. Not now. Not when Margaret wanted him in that ceremony. Not when Hakeem was looking at her like she was part of some future he’d built with the woman who ruined my life.
So that night, I picked up the burner phone I kept under the loose floorboard.
Dialed the number.
The line clicked after one ring.
“It’s me,” I whispered. “I need the exit plan changed. I’m not leaving alone.”
“Understood, ma’am,” the voice replied. “We’ll move everything.”
This time, I wasn’t running.
This time, I was taking back what was mine.“The plan changed,” I whispered into the burner phone. My voice was tight. Quiet. “Aziel’s gonna be the ring bearer. I can’t leave without him.”
I paused, fingers shaking slightly. “And there’s one more problem. Eight years ago, after I faked my death... Hakeem had a tracker put inside me. He never told me where, just said it’s somewhere I wouldn’t be able to reach. He knew I’d try to run again.”
There was a long silence on the other end before the response came.
“No problem, ma’am. I’ll handle everything on our side. But you need to get that tracker out. It’s the only way this works.”
I exhaled slowly. Finally, a bit of relief. “Alright. I’ll wait for your signal—”
“Harmony.”
His voice hit me like a gunshot. I turned. Hakeem stood by the door, watching me. Eyes sharp. Face unreadable.
I hung up immediately, slipped the phone behind me, heart thudding against my ribs.